


Under the Cherry Blossom Tree

by SerenataImmortale



Category: Joker Game (Anime)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-05-22
Packaged: 2018-11-03 15:09:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10969806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerenataImmortale/pseuds/SerenataImmortale
Summary: Under the cherry blossom tree stood a man Sakuma recognized all too well.





	Under the Cherry Blossom Tree

**Author's Note:**

> A SakuMiyo short fic inspired by the song "I See Fire" - Celtic Woman.

_If this is to end in fire_  
_Then we should all burn together_  
_Watch the flames climb high into the night_

 

The war had finally come to an end. Japan ended up on the losing side; there was no denying that. The casualties were severe, and the wound of pride; a fresh cut, still.

Despite this saddened feeling in Sakuma's heart, it was refreshing in a way – relieving, even. A heavy burden had been lifted off his weary shoulders the very moment he was released from his duties as a soldier. After all, the steel blue kimono he was currently wearing felt way more comfortable than his dirty, bloodstained military uniform. The air seemed cleaner now. The sky looked bluer. The ground he walked on felt unfamiliar, as if he was stepping on foreign land even though that was far from the case. He knew it was.

As the lieutenant continued along his path, he caught the sight of a large sakura tree, its rosy blossoms in full bloom. Spring came early this year, he couldn’t help but notice. It would have been a breath-taking view if he could admire it a bit longer, but something else had already caught his attention by then.

Under this exact tree stood a man he recognized all too well. In contrast to the spy’s usual suit, however, a wine-dyed haori now rested so gracefully upon his lavender kimono.

“Miyoshi?” Confusion hit Sakuma as he approached him, for he had not expected to meet anyone he knew out here and especially not a spy. Well, **_ex-spy_** considering the D-Agency was no more as far as he knew. He wondered what the narcissist did for a living these days.

“Good afternoon, Sakuma-san. What brings you here?”

“I could ask you the same.”

It had been a while since he saw that soft smile, heard that gentle voice, yet Miyoshi was _just_ how he remembered. Perhaps he was even more charming now in the traditional wear, or maybe it was how the sunlight cast this nice glow upon him. Sakuma couldn't quite tell.

“Not even a proper greeting. Soldiers have no manners, do they?”

Like a mental slap to his face, the other’s words pulled him back to reality. Even after all this time of them being separated, Miyoshi was _still_ Miyoshi. How could he forget? He wasn't sure if he should be cautious or amused about that.

 _“Good afternoon, Miyoshi.”_ A forced greeting was better than none, and the spy had no choice but to take it. That seemed to do for him though, because the smug smile was back on his pretty face.

“Anyway, I hope you don’t mind me accompanying you for a bit?” Sakuma asked then just to be polite since his buddy here was so into that kind of thing.

“As a matter of fact, I don’t.”

They started walking along the rows of cherry trees, as there were many of these. Still, most were barely half the size of the one Miyoshi had been standing beneath. If he was to ignore all the teasing (mostly on the spy’s side), their topics ranged from the D-Agency to the Japanese Imperial Army, to political issues and the weather. It felt nice to catch up on a few things, but after some time he decided to bring up a question that had been on his mind for a while.

“Miyoshi… Back then, why did you do that?” He was sure the brunet knew _exactly_ which incident he was referring to. The nerve-racking scene at Gordon’s house was something he hadn’t forgotten about ever since. It wasn’t the act of disembowelment itself that bothered him so, because _any_ soldier would be fully prepared to give up their own life for the country, even during a simple undercover mission as theirs. What got him wondering, however, were Miyoshi’s true intentions during that time.

“Really. Are you still on about that?”

“I need to know.” The soldier wasn't sure _why_ he felt so uneasy about this whole thing. Maybe it was that he wanted to have a good time with Miyoshi, and so far that certainly was the case, but the thought of how this man tried to get him killed once made it difficult for him to lay down his guard.   

Although Miyoshi didn’t seem too happy by his question, the lieutenant was determined. This time for sure, he would get the answer from him.

An almost inaudible sigh escaped the male’s lips before he gave his reply. “ _Don’t die, don’t kill._ These are the words every D-Agency spy follows. Having you carry out the hara-kiri show would attract too much attention, which in return would delay our mission. If we wanted to kill you in the first place, there would be easier ways to do so.”

Sakuma wasn’t sure if he was supposed to feel relieved by that, but he was. Just knowing the other’s true feelings about the matter cleared up quite a few misunderstandings.

“Thank you for telling me. I appreciate it.”

 _Oh, should my people fall_  
_Then surely I'll do the same_  
_Confined in mountain halls_  
_We got too close to the flame_

 

The next afternoon, Sakuma headed along the same path as yesterday. To his surprise (and also amusement), the brunet was once again under the large sakura tree. And, as time passed, this became some sort of routine.

Every day he would stop by the cherry blossom tree, and every day Miyoshi would be there right beneath it. _Every day._ They would converse about nothing and everything, tease each other, get a little annoyed, then repeat. The more he talked to the spy, the more Sakuma realized that they could indeed get along. In fact, Miyoshi was clever and not all bad to look at. It wouldn't be wrong to say that he was somewhat—if not very— _attracted_ to him, though this was the kind of thought he kept to himself, lest the narcissist might tease him to no end.

Even so, there were also moments when spending time with the spy became less pleasant.

 _“Where are your comrades?”_ Once again, Miyoshi had asked a difficult question. He seemed to do that more often lately. 

“I watched them die. They’re not here anymore.”

_“And you were the only survivor?”_

“Yes.”

_“Is that so.”_

“Yes.”

_"How did they die? Would you mind telling me the details?"_

"..." Now, Sakuma wasn't the type to turn away from painful events, but he couldn't understand why Miyoshi kept trying to poke at his wounds just when they were having a good time. It was outright _cruel_ and he hated it.

_“Don’t you think it’s strange?”_

“What is..?”

_“The fact that everyone else died, yet you survived the war.”_

“Why is that strange? Like you're one to talk. Look—I don’t know _what_ happened to the other D-Agency members, but like me, you survived the war too, didn't you?” 

 _“…”_ Miyoshi suddenly grew quiet at that. His facial expression became difficult to read; well, more difficult than usual anyway (had he _ever_ been able to read the spy in the first place?).

_"We are the same; you're right about that. But, not because we survived the war."_

Confusion was evident on the lieutenant’s face for a moment before realization dawned upon him. “Don’t tell me… Miyoshi, you—…”

The other was smiling now, his usual gaze rested upon the taller male, as graceful as ever. That alone was enough for an answer. Even a cunning individual like him had met his end just like everybody else, Sakuma came to realize. Of course he knew spies and soldiers were all equal in death, but the fact that Miyoshi of all people had passed away so soon was difficult to take in.

“…how?” It pained him to ask.

_“A train accident in Germany. By a steel beam impaled through the chest. Laughable, isn’t it?”_

“Not really.”

_“I guess. What about you, Sakuma-san. How did you ‘leave the stage’? Do you finally remember?”_

That, he did. The soldier had unconsciously been denying it until now, but the signs were all there and these brief meetings with Miyoshi helped him deal with his own issues so he could leave without regrets.

“On the battlefield, alongside my comrades. After leaving the D-Agency, Colonel Mutou sent me to the front-lines. With how things were going, I saw it coming really.”

_“How unfortunate—”_

“Yea—“

_“—in the end, you didn’t get to perform your hara-kiri show.”_

**“Oi.”**

That earned a soft chuckle from Miyoshi. Such a tease as ever, that guy, even regarding complex topics as these.

_“With this solved, I think it’s time for me to go.”_

Sakuma knew what that meant. Although they always bid goodbye when the evening came, this time was different. Since Sakuma had figured out their current state and what had _actually_ happened, it was time for them to move on to the next life, or whatever was waiting for them. 

“Miyoshi.”

_“?”_

“Actually, I… About you..." Just when the taller male thought he was ready to express certain feelings, hesitation prevented him from continuing. Then again, did things such as these matter to the dead? Probably not. By now, he could feel Miyoshi's curious gaze upon him. Dark blue hues fell close as he felt a little silly for even trying to bring it up. "No, forget it."

_"If you say so. I’ll be on my way, then."_

“Yes.”

_“You should too, Sakuma-san.”_

“Yeah, I know.”

_“Until next time.”_

“Until next time.”

Sakuma watched as the man he had become so intrigued with disappeared between tall trees and out of sight. His heart sunk in his chest at the thought that he might not meet Miyoshi again any time soon, but his lips formed a rather gentle smile. It was genuine, just like his unspoken feelings for the brunet.

 _Maybe I’ll tell him next time_ , thought the lieutenant. Whenever or wherever that _‘next time’_ may be anyway. Getting back on the path he had left the other day, the lieutenant continued along it, now heading towards a faraway place; a place he should have headed a long, long time ago.

Since that day, no soldier nor spy was seen again under the cherry blossom tree.

_Hollowing souls_  
_And I see fire_  
_Blood in the breeze_  
_And I hope that you remember me_

 


End file.
